William Curtis of Troop 313 recites the scout's oath during a ceremony where he receives his Eagle Scout badge Saturday at North Berwick's Parks and Recreation Center. (John Huff/Staff photographer)

NORTH BERWICK, Maine — William Curtis earned the rank of Eagle Scout, at the age of 17, celebrating the honor Saturday evening at his Court of Honor.

“There are many people who are proud of you here today,” said John Curtis, his father and Assistant Scoutmaster to his troop.

William began Cub Scouts at the age of 8, moving on to Boy Scouts at the age of 11.

According to eaglescout.org, only 2 percent of Boy Scouts go on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. William is the fourth in his troop to earn the rank since 2006, when the current Scoutmaster started working with Troop 313.

The journey to the momentous day wasn't easy. William was born with Cerebral Palsy, which, at its most basic, affects muscular development and movement.

He trekked through the journey of earning most of his badges, with the hard work that many scouts dedicate to earning them.

But some were harder than others. His parents, John and Peggy, said swimming and cycling were exceptionally difficult for William.

He never let the challenges stop him though. He battled on to earn the badges, citing his cycling and swimming badges among his favorites, along with shotgun shooting. “I like to go biking a lot,” he said. William rode 50 miles, from home to Kennebunk and back, in five hours. To earn the badge he had to complete the ride in less than 8 hours.

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Peggy Curtis pins the Eagle badge on her son William Curtis of Troop 313 during a ceremony held at the North Berwick Parks and Recreation Center Saturday. (John Huff/Staff photographer)

He said he loves his shotgun badge because he just loves shooting sports.

As for swimming, “I could never pass swimming at summer camp,” he said. The badge is now one of his favorites because he “worked really hard to earn it.”

To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, William didn't just have to obtain badges, at least 21 of them. He also had to demonstrate leadership abilities, create and carry out a service project, and display the qualities presented in the Scout Oath, which include keeping one's self physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. He had to meet with the Eagle Scout board of review to present himself as a candidate for the rank. And, finally, when everything else was complete, he had to plan his own Court of Honor.

The ceremony opened with William thanking guests for attending. His father, John, then spoke about scouting.

“Scouting only provided the opportunity to learn these important skills,” he told the crowd, which was peppered with Boy Scouts. “You make the decision to learn their skills and to practice them.”